Eyeglasses or spectacles.



. No. 674,U5l. Patented May l4, l90l.

. G. F. APPLEGATE.

EYEGLASSES 0R SPECTACLES (Application and m. 26, 1900;

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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GEORGE F. APPLEGATE, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

EYEG LASSES OR SPECTACLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,051, dated May 14,1901. Application filed February 26, 1900- Serial No. 61443. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. APPLEGATE, of Trenton, in the State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eyeglassesor Spectacles, whereof the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a lens clamp for eyeglasses or spectacles of theso called frarneless or rimless type which serves to maintain the lensin proper relation with the nose bridge and guard or other framemembers. Such clamps are usually so shaped as to require two separatepieces for their construction: first, a strap arranged for directattachment to the lens, and, second, a stud or shank provided with aseat for the respective overlapping ends of the nose bridge and guard.Said two clamp-pieces are separately manufactured by stamping andbending operations and are then permanently united by a soldering orbrazing operation to form the two pieces into the single commercialarticle.

It is the object of my invention to provide a lens-clamp of suchform asto be readily manufactured of a single stamping of sheet metal, ashereinafter described.

My invention is obviously advantageous in that the expensive operationof brazing hitherto employed, as aforesaid, in the manufacture oflens-clamps of the class specified may be eliminated and the cost orproduction thereof be correspondingly reduced.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of an eyeglassembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the form of my clamp shown infull lines in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the form of myclamp shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a face view of theblank from which the clamp shown in Fig. 3 is formed. Fig. 6 is a faceview of the blank from which the clamp shown in Fig. 4 is formed. Fig. 7is a perspective view of the form of clamp shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is aperspective view of a bolt and nut for securing the nose bridge andguard upon the clampseat. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a bolt and nutfor securing the lens with respect to the clamp-strap. Fig. 10 is a faceview of a blank for a modified form of my improved clamp.

In said figures, A is the lens, and B O the nose bridge and guard, ofordinary construction. The clamp D, which serves to connect said lensand nose bridge and guard in proper relation, comprises a strap end 01,which bears against the face of the lens A, as shown in Fig. 2, and issecured thereon by means of the bolt E, whose head e is seated in theaperture d in the clamp end. Said bolt E extends through thelens-aperture CL and is provided with the nut 6. Immediately adjoiningthe strap end at the clamp-body is provided with wings (Z arranged toengagethe edge of the lens, as shown in Fig. 1, and the clamp-body isbent at right angles with the winged portion to form the shank (1Immediately adjoining said shank the body of the clamp is bent parallelwith the winged portion to form the seat d for the respectiveoverlapping ends b c of the nose bridge and guard, and the clamp end dadjoining said seat d, extends at right angles to said seat and parallelwith the opposite strap end (1 to maintain the overlapped ends of thebridge and guard in proper relation upon the seat 61 to which they maybe secured by means of the bolt F, provided with the nutf, as shown inFig. 2.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the aperture cl inthe clamp-seat d is elongated to facilitate the entrance of the bolt F,and the latter is prevented from rotating when the parts are assembled,as shown in Fig. 2, by the contact of the side of its headf with theadjacent surface of the clampshank 01 within the rectangular bightformed in the clamp-body by the bends above described.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 4 and 6 the aperture 01 maybe circular, as shown in Fig. 6, for said bolt extends across therectangular bight in the clamp and has its pyramidal head f seated inthe similarlyshaped aperture d in the winged portion of the clamp. Thebolt F being entered from the lens side of the clamp, the engagement ofits head in the aperture (1 serves to prevent the rotation of the boltwith respect to the clamp.

Although I prefer to construct the bolt E, as shown in Fig. 9, separatefrom the clamp and to prevent the rotation of said bolt with respect tothe clamp by the engagement of its pyramidal head e in thesimilarly-shaped aperture d in the clamp, it is obvious that other meansmay be employed to secure the lens in proper relation with the clamp.For instance, the end (i of the plane clamp-blank shown in Fig. 10 maybe slitted, as shown, upturned at right angles to the plane of the strap(1, and threaded at its extremity to receive the nut e. It is alsoobvious that the aperture d may be extended to the edge of theclamp-body, as shown in Fig. 10.

I do not desire to broadly claim an ordinary lens-clamp formed of sheetmetal or sheetmetal stampings. I believe it to be new, however, toprovide a lens-clamp of the characteristic construction hereinbeforedescribed which is adapted for manufacture from a single piece of metal,and therefore I do not desire to limit myself to the precise proportionsor arrangement of the parts which I have illustrated, as it is obviousthat various modifications may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

I. A lens-clamp, consisting of a single sheetmetal stamping bent to formboth a strap arranged for direct engagement with the lens, and a seatarranged for direct engagement with a nose-bridge, a bolt extendingthrough an aperture in said seat, and means in said clamp to prevent therotation of said bolt, substantially as set forth.

2. A lens-clamp, consisting of a sheet-metal plate having parallel planeends and a rectangularly-bent bight intermediate of said ends,

one side of said bight being provided with" wings arranged to engage theedge of the lens, and the opposite side of said bight being providedwith a seat arranged to retain the respective ends of a nose bridge andguard in proper relation, respective apertures in the opposed winged andseat portions of said clamp, a bolt extending through said apertures,and means, in said clamp, to prevent the rotation of said bolt,substantially as set forth.

3. A lens-clamp, consisting of asheet-metal plate having parallel planeends and a rectangularly-bent bight intermediate of said ends, one sideof said bight being provided with wings, arranged to engage the edge ofthe lens, and the opposite side of said bight being provided with a seatarranged to retain the respective ends of an ordinary nose bridge andguard in proper relation, an aperture in the seat portion of said clamp,a screwthreaded bolt entered through said aperture, and a head upon saidbolt so shaped as to prevent the rotation of said bolt, substantially asset forth.

4:. In an eyeglass the combination with a lens, of an aperture in saidlens, a screwthreaded member extending through said aperture inengagement with the strap end of a lens-clamp, a portion of said clampbent at right angles with said strap end and having wings bearinguponthe edge of thelens, a shank-portion of said clamp extending at rightangles with said Winged portion, at one side thereof, a seat portion ofsaid clamp bent parallel with said winged portion and provided with anaperture, a bridge and a guard having their adjoining ends overlappedupon said clamp-seat, a screw-threaded member entered through saidbridge, said guard and said aperture in said seat, and an end portion ofsaid clamp bent at right angles with said seat, arranged .to retain therespective overlapped ends of said bridge and guard in proper relation,substantially as set forth.

5. A lens-clamp consisting of asingle sheetmetal stamping, a strap d, atone end of said clamp arranged for direct engagement with a lens,opposed Wings (1 extending at right angles with said strap, in positionto engage the edge of the lens, a shank d parallel'with said strap (1, anose bridge and guard seat d bent at right angles with said shank 01 anda plane extremity d parallel with said strap 01, substantially as setforth.

GEORGE F. APPLEGATE. Witnesses:

G. H. CAIN, JOHN F. PFISTER.

